Pharmacy Provision: Hampton

In the House of Commons Adjournment Debate, Munira Wilson, the Member of Parliament for Twickenham, raised concerns about the impact of pharmacy closures on the local community in the Hampton area of her constituency. She highlighted the closure of two Boots pharmacies in the Hampton North ward, which is an area of relative deprivation, leaving the entire ward without a community pharmacy. Wilson emphasized the challenges faced by the elderly and those with mobility issues, as the nearest pharmacy is now a mile away, which is more than a 20-minute walk. She praised the work of Healthwatch Richmond in surveying local residents and giving a voice to the community. Wilson also discussed the broader crisis facing the community pharmacy sector, with a net loss of over 1,200 pharmacies since 2015, particularly in the most deprived areas. She attributed this to a significant real-terms reduction in funding for pharmacies, which has dropped by around 30% since 2015. Responding on behalf of the Minister for Care, Andrew Gwynne, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, acknowledged the importance of community pharmacies and the Government's commitment to helping pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reach their full potential. He recognized the concerns raised about the closures in Hampton and assured the House that the Minister for Care would closely monitor the situation. Gwynne also discussed the Government's plans to build on the Pharmacy First initiative, including ensuring that every newly qualified pharmacist has a prescribing qualification and working with integrated care boards on pilots to test how prescribing can work in community pharmacy. Regarding the bureaucratic processes surrounding pharmacy closures and new license applications, Gwynne stated that the regulatory framework is under review, and the Government is keen to make improvements wherever possible. He also acknowledged the concerns raised about the lack of transparency and the need for better involvement of local communities in these processes. On the issue of funding, Gwynne explained that the Government has commissioned an economic analysis of the cost of providing pharmaceutical services, and they are looking at this as a matter of urgency. However, he noted that the current challenging economic circumstances mean the Government cannot provide immediate updates on the funding arrangements for this year. Overall, the debate highlighted the significant challenges facing the community pharmacy sector and the need for the Government to address the funding issues, bureaucratic processes, and the impact of pharmacy closures on local communities.